If you haven’t heard, the Cincinnati Open — the oldest tennis tournament in the United States, running since 1899, and the third-largest tournament in the country — is happening right now.
CityBeat had the chance to do it all on Tuesday; every match, every attraction, every location and as many food vendors as physically possible. Here’s what you should expect to see at the Cincinnati Open:
Tennis (duh)
Regardless of all the attractions and food at the Cincinnati Open, the main focus is right where it should be: the tennis. The Open is a recognized tournament by both the ATP and the WTA, and is one step below the four major Grand Slams.
All the biggest stars in the world —Serena Williams, Francis Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka and plenty more — compete in the Cincinnati Open to raise their status in the world of tennis. What’s more, you can watch the players practice and get their autographs if you show up at the right time.
Eat lots of great food
Oh man, where to even begin with the food selection at the Cincinnati Open? All your local favorites are here and more. I started off my morning with a chicken elote empanada from Alfio’s Buon Cibo — if you’re an eagle-eyed CityBeat reader, you’ll recall I loved their Korean BBQ empanada when I was judging Taste of Cincinnati — then watched Andrey Rublev choke in this morning’s first match.
Afterward, I headed to the Jeff Ruby’s booth and tried what will probably be the cheapest item I’ll ever find on any Ruby’s menu: a gargantuan slice of chocolate chip pie for $6. It was good enough that I considered getting another, and likely would’ve if I wasn’t on a mission to try as much as possible. After attending some player practices and exploring the grounds for a while, I looped back around to the always-dependable Mazunte for chips and guacamole.
Later on, P&G graciously extended an invite to their suite, where I had hummus and pita bread alongside some char-grilled ribeye — which I chowed down on while watching Taylor Fritz dominate in straight sets. Afterward, I managed to snag a ticket inside the tournament’s ultra-exclusive 1899 Club thanks to an old bartending colleague of mine and enjoyed its unlimited buffet, where I had some sliders, a brownie, and some chocolate mousse. Following that, my friend and I nabbed a few of the tournament-exclusive Cincy Light cans; sadly, it was no different than regular Cincy Light, but at least the koozies we got were cool.
To finish off the day, I had the best thing I tried all tournament. (Drum roll please.) It was… a Skyline coney. What? You thought I’d end it all off with some crazy fine dining experience? Please. This is the Cincinnati Open, and I’m a Cincinnati native at one of Cincinnati’s biggest events. Of note was the noticeably thicker chili on my coney — which the cashier told me was a side effect of how it was stored at the tournament, and which I wouldn’t be upset about if I had as an option at my local Skyline. Even after all the amazing food I had all day, nothing hit as hard as our biggest local delicacy. (And I’m still a little sad I didn’t stop for Graeter’s, too.)
Explore various installations and attractions
As mentioned, the festival grounds are filled with plenty of traditional vendors and plenty of tennis-related things to do. But if you’re looking for something else? Well, you’re in luck.
All kinds of strange experiences are littered across the tournament grounds. Go hop in some luxury cars at the Cadillac booth. Try some gelato at the Talenti booth, which was so good I forgot to take a photo. Check out some classic Italian charcuterie at the Veroni booth. Or stop and smell the roses, literally, at the Downy installation. (I know it sounds goofy, but hey, everything on display smelled pretty good!)
As you can see, there’s plenty to do all over the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Whatever you decide on, it’ll surely be aces.
The Cincinnati Open takes place at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, located at 5460 Courseview Drive in Mason, Ohio. The tournament runs August 8-23.
